Fossil Free Fiday: Are you ready to Rumble?!! (Electric scooter-ish)

Before we get started, please remember that I am the guy who likes ugly machines. My dream list reads like a nightmare for most: the Citicar, the Econoline pickup, the Kewet, the Leaf, the 'Lectric Leopard, the Spira, the Boxx, the Corvair, the Kurbwatt, the Otis, the MiEV... Yep, the list goes on and on. So, it's pretty surprising when I look at an oddball machine and think, Oooh, that thing's not so pretty. When I first glanced the Rumble in a Derek Markham article, I was none too excited. I didn't even click on the article. Not at first, anyway.



 

The Rumble e-Bike

 

But my curiosity got the better of me, so I went back to check it out. And it started to grow on me a little. It grew on me a lot more when I started scoping out the specs:

 

 

As a matter of fact, I've been watching for this combination of speed, range, and price for a while now. And I've always been intrigued by hub-centered steering. And I really like café racers. Yep, the oddball started looking pretty darned good, especially when compared with the other electric two-wheelers available in the states.

 

Go the website and wait - you'll see the video of the Rumble in action.

 

The crew responsible for the Rumble 

Up to a dime to charge it? I could handle that.

 

Rumble Competitors?

 

The GenZe 2.0

 

I recently test rode a GenZe and I loved it, but at $3000, 30mph, and 30 miles of range, I just don't see it being a good solution for suburbanites like me. (I really liked that big trunk!)

The Super Soco (not available here)

 

If we could get the Super Soco in the States, it would be a similar story - $3000/30/30.

 

Well, I guess that's it for today. How about you? Are you ready to Rumble? It looks like the wait time is about a month. If you order one now, you might just get it in time for Christmas. Hmm. Grizz just got a Santa suit. I can sure see him and all the elves Rumbling around delivering toys.

 

Whatever it is, may your ride get you around cleanly, greenly, and grinly!

 

PS. Just for grins I had to throw in one two more two wheelers for comparison. :-)

 

Two Radwagons Shipped (US 48) for $2998
 

Fossil Free After Friday: I rode a GenZe 2.0

Our mean boss sent Matt and me out of town to do some work. Don't tell anyone, but while we were out in the real world, we did a bit of eco-friendly sightseeing. We went by Moxie Scooters! (For a scooter-dork mesquite hugger, it's a magical place.)

We got to see and test ride this blue beauty. Moxie Scooters link

I have been a fan of the Genze 2.0 for some time now, but this is the first time I've seen one in person. The Genze 2.0 is the most legitimate electric commuter scooter available in the US. It's built in Michigan, has a dealer network, has a line of accessories available, and it has a proven track record for durability. And, oh yeah, it does not burn gasoline - legit! And it costs less than the new clutch we put in our daughter's car this year. (Eek!)

It even has a real brochure (Moxie info up top.)

What did I think? I loved it! It's quick. I loved the info on the dash. The windshield was more effective than I expected for something so small. The brakes are excellent. It's the easiest two-wheeler to ride I've ever been on. It has throttle, brakes, and a blinker - that's about all you have to worry about. And it is silent. I can't imagine a more peaceful machine for cruising about.

You know me, I love the looks - it doesn't look like any other scooter out there.

Back of the brochure

It's bigger than you'd think - Matt is 6'3"

Dashboard selfie - the gauge cluster is legit! Lots of info, and you have your own PIN number.

Imagine all the junk to fit in this trunk!

For me, there is really only one drawback. The top speed is 30 miles per hour.

And I live in a 50 mph town.

30 miles per hour puts it right in league with most 50cc gas-powered scooters. So, if that fits your need, this thing is a great choice. It has a 30mph top speed and a 30 mile range. (Interestingly, it zooms right up to 30 and then it just stops accelerating. You know there's more there, but it electronically limits itself. My DIY brain was scheming to squeeze another 5 mph out of it. Where's Rusty - who loves to void warranties - when I need him?) 

My newly minted right electric vehicle for the job graph.

The GenZe falls just short of the blue E-Scooter zone.

(So does my home-built E-Scooter, snagit!)

My verdict? Other than the top speed, I love this thing. I even like the blue on this one. Now, if I can talk GenZe into offering the GenZe 40 - 40mph and 40 mile range, I will be straight up in love!

And Matt? He was measuring our company car to see if the GenZe would fit in the back seat - it won't!

If you're in the Fort Worth area and want to see the Genze in person, go see John at Moxie. Please tell him hi! He's a great guy!

May we all find green transport that is this much fun to ride.

Fossil Free Friday - Electric Scooters

Since Grizz, Mendi, Fester, the Loi-Yer, Double K, and Melissa are headed to the Texas United Scooter Rally this weekend, it seemed like a great day to throw a few electric scooters up for Fossil Free Friday.

Grizz' red Vespa and the Mesquite Hugger E-Vespa

  

Earlier this week, Derek Markham posted about a new electric German scooter. (Or should that be "German electric scooter"? Where's Noam when I need him.)

Derek Markham article on TreeHugger

I'm always excited when I run across a new electric scooter so I popped on over and found a pretty standard little scooter that

• looks a whole lot like a 2006 Yamaha Vino
• has a 28mph top speed
• 30 miles of range
• is available only in Europe. Snagit.

 But, then I remembered that we have a similar scooter available over here. The Genze 2.0.

And the Genze may not be all retro-Yamaha stylish, but it's got a nice list of virtues:

• It's vastly slightly faster (30mph!)
• It has the same range - 30 miles
• No insane Teutonic import tariff -  it's made, or at least assembled, in Ann Arbor Michigan!
• It has a removable battery pack, too!
• You can buy one (in Texas) for less than $3000!
• And, it's a 2-wheeled pickup truck! (You know me and electric pickups.)

(A pretty small pickup truck)

The pickup bed even inspired a weekly contest!

So there you have it - two emission-free electric scooters to help you get off the gas, keep it in the ground, clear the air, and generally make the world a less stinky place.

May you live in a less stinky place that you helped to create!

PS. In case the Genze 2.0 is not your thing, be sure to check out the Fido (my favorite), the Boxx, and the Monday Motorbike. - three very different approaches to electric scooters.

Three Low-Cost Electric Roadster Bikes

For all you electric bike fans who are not cargo bike fans, I decided today was a day to veer away from my heavily laden single-track mind and offer up some bikes for normal people.

 

Roadster? Roaster? Donuts! (Dave Palmer Art)

 

Are you looking for an electric bike that is just a bike? You know - not a dedicated road bike, not a dedicated mountain bike,  not a cruiser, not a cargo bike, but a bike that could do a little bit of each? Well, it's a category I have been watching closely for a few years now. Keep in mind, that I am very cheap, so I have not been watching the Stromers and HaiBikes and Felts and such. I have been keeping it in the sub-$2000 range, and I am trying to stay out of the Kickstarterisms for this group so that you can keep these stewing and not have to make an impulse buy to get in on the deal. (Two of these, however, are only available for pre-order right now.)

So let's jump into it. The first bike on the list is no stranger to those who have poked around Mesquite Hugger in the past. It's the GenZe e-bike. It's technically one model that is available in a few different frame configurations. It's a solid bike with a few very cool features and it comes in at a very reasonable $1499. A few basic stats: 36 volt removable battery pack (integrated into the frame!), 250 watt hub motor, throttle/pedelec/human power/walking and stair climber modes, cool digital readout, it weighs only 46 lbs (not bad in this price range), disc brakes, and a 7-speed Shimano derailleur. It also comes in three frame sizes for the sport model and two sizes for the step-through model. Lots of good stuff. I hope silver is your favorite color - the GenZe comes in silver, silver, or silver. The frame is aluminum.

 

[GenZe sidebar: GenZe also offers an electric scooter that seems to be doing very well. I have been watching an electric scooter sharing company in San Francisco (Scoot Networks) that has adopted the GenZe 2.0 and is having great success with these low-cost ($2999) workhorses.] 

 

Genze e101 Sport

What's that? You're allergic to aluminum? You don't want to be seen riding around on recycled beverage cans? Well, maybe this next one will be more to your liking. Its frame is not metal at all. It's carbon fiber (or "fibre" for those of you from across the pond and whatnot). And it comes in a very stealthy matte black. It is from our old Canadian Beast-maker buddies, Daymak.

 

Daymak EC1 (Electric Carbon 1)

 

There are three versions available that cost $1899, $2399, and $3499. And they weigh 34, 32, and 28 pounds respectively. That's right - the cheapest version is 12 pounds lighter than the GenZe. I'll focus on that less expensive version - it's a 21-speed, has a removable 24 volt battery pack (the more expensive ones have 36 volts), has a 250 watt motor, disc brakes, and front suspension. But the big deal here is the carbon fiber frame - you just don't see that stuff in this price range - and 34 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. The bad news? If you want one next week, you are out of luck - this one is only available through pre-order at this time. But it is a cool machine.

This next one is for you speed junkies. The GenZe and the Daymak are both limited to 20 miles per hour, but the Cross Current has no such limitation - it'll do 28 miles per hour. If you are accustomed to riding around in a car, that may not sound like much, but if you are used to bicycle speeds, 28 mph is flying! 20 mph on a bike is actually impressively fast for us mere mortals. 28 will make you feel like a two-wheeled Chuck Yeager.
 

Juiced Rider Cross Current - One Bad Mamma Jamma!

The Cross Current is a product of Juiced Rider or Juiced Bikes, a small but very well thought of e-bike company best known for their rather sweet cargo bikes that have up to a 100 mile range.

[Okay, I'll be honest here. This one is my fave by far.]

Just like the GenZe, it costs $1499, but it is very impressive in features and hardware: Kenda e-bike tires (!), Samsung removable 48 volt (!) battery pack, 500 watt (!) motor, Tektro hydraulic (holy moly!) disc brakes, and an honest-to-goodness torque-sensing pedelec. Almost all e-bikes in this price range have cadence sensors - not the vastly superior torque sensors. This means that the Cross Current responds to how hard you pedal, not just to the fact that you are pedaling. Sweet!

And, it comes in sexy red or matte black. (For those of you who are worried about such things.) It also comes in three frame sizes, you can get a bigger battery for $200 more, and it has mounts for a utility rack (which has this eco-cargo dork all excited.) Sure it weighs the most (49 pounds), but who really cares when you get this much bike for the money!

(While visiting the site, I noticed that they are cross-currently sold out, but expect to have more in stock in late September.)

Add some taller bars, the bigger battery, a rear cargo rack - yep, I want one. Sure, I want a cargo bike, but this thing is cool sexy fast and all kinds of stuff that make the heart beat faster. Oh so cool!

 

May your heart beat faster and your carbon footprint be smaller.

 

Gratuitous Dog Pic with a Scoot Networks GenZe 2.0

 

 

 

Fossil Free Friday: Electric Bike Overview

Find it in Seattle

Okay, so you want to be healthier, earth-friendlier, (possibly) wealthier, and generally like the world better; but you're not a hardcore athlete, you live near hills, you have a wonky knee, you hate traffic, or you just want a cool toy. An electric bike may be just the thing for you.

In the next few weeks I will be posting more details about the overwhelming choices in going electric. For now, we'll start with a quick overview to get your mental saliva flowing. (Gross!)

Factory Built

Genze Sport $

Genze Comfort $

Pedego Bikes (they have several models) $$

Those lovely Faradays $$

The Haibike $$$

The astounding Stealth $$$$

I want a RadWagon! $

Hey, it has pedals too! $

If you can afford it, you are the average consumer, and you barely know where to put gas in your car, do yourself a favor and find a good factory-built electric bike. And spend a little (or a lot) more than you initially expected. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Be sure to read online reviews that are not from the seller's website.) There is a lot to be said for a machine that was engineered with pieces designed to work together. If you are under 200 pounds and don't have a lot to carry, a bike with 250 watts of power should be fine. If you are over 200 pounds and or have lots of stuff to carry, be sure to stay over 500 watts. Expect to pay at least $1500 for a good factory built electric bike.

 DIY

There are lots of great kits and scads of poor kits out there to choose from. You definitely get what you pay for. More importantly, without lots of research, the average user will be disappointed with the first attempt. It gets much more expensive when you try again for a second attempt.

On the other hand, if you are a tinkerer, a maker, a builder, a hot rodder, a gearhead, a speed junkie, or just someone who craves that sort of thing, the DIY thing can be awesome.

Categories for DIY (and factory-built)

Evelo Omni Wheel

Flykly

Powered Wheels (Evelo, Copenhagen Wheel, FlyKly, Daymak DDS) - Powered wheels are just coming into their own. Simple install and very clean - just change a wheel, mount a display (or smartphone mount, download an app, and take off. They seem expensive until you realize that everything (batteries, motor, and controller) is inside the wheel. Very neat idea.

I hope my next bike build has one of these (Bafang/8FUN BBS)

Mid Drive (Bafang BBS, Bosch - and lots more are becoming available) Mid-Drives are the big thing for hill climbers and those who want a balanced bike that utilizes all of the gears with the motor. (I sure want to try one out!)

My bike with this fairly generic hubmotor kit installed

Hubmotor (Front/Rear, Geared/Direct Drive - huge number of choices) The old workhorse of the electric bike world is still a great option for those who live in a flat place, want to go really fast, or want to do it on a budget.

You have to love a name like that!

Friction Drive (Rubbee) I have never been a fan of friction drives, but they are simple and do have a following. The Rubbee is definitely a cool application of the idea.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff. Keep watching this blog for more in-depth info on these options.

May you find just the right bike for your budget, your beliefs, and that wonky knee!

National Drive (Ride) Electric Week: A Moustache on an E-bike and some MH faves

found on pinterest

Generally speaking, NDEW events focus on electric cars, but there are other electric vehicles out there that make a lot of sense, especially to those of us who are hoping to save money while saving the earth - electric bicycles.

If you've spent much time around this blog, you know that the MH staff is pretty crazy about electric bicycles. And we love to list reasons why they make so much sense, but don't take our words for it.  A while back we re-posted a trying-out-an-ebike blog post from Mr. Money Moustache - a blog based on financial wellness and living a better life. Well, MMM has now posted a follow-up to that original post - and it sounds like the verdict is very favorable for electric bikes. Check it out:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/08/31/electric-bike-reviews/

 

 

Here are some of my favorite e-bikes in the less than and equal to $2000 category:

The Riide e-bike $2000

 

gneZe e101 Sport $1500

 

gneZe e102 Recreational Riser $1500

 

The Radwagon $1700 ($1400 if you act soon) (drool)

The Daymak Beast ($2000 for base model - yes, it's a stretch, but it has pedals. :-)

Do you want to learn more about factory-built e-bikes? Check out Electric Bike Report.

 Do you want to learn more about building your own e-bike(for a lot less money)? Check out the Endless-Sphere forum.

Do you want a low-carbon and inexpensive commuter that won't drench you in your own sweat? Check out an e-bike!

May you find yourself enjoying your commute, saving the earth, and treading lightly!

Bonus link from Mr. Money Moustache: Curing your Clown-like Car Habit (It may make you sputter and blush.)

Electric Bike Choices: Genze, Faraday, and now Vela

A little while back, I wrote a post comparing two very appealing e-bikes, the Faraday Porteur and the Genze e-bike. The general gist was that they are both very cool but the Faraday was cooler; however, the Genze cost less than half as much and (arguably) had more features. So the Genze would be my choice if it weren't for the fact that they both are underpowered for an 1/8 tonner like me.

If you read that article, you have now probably re-watched Some Kind of Wonderful and have thought to yourself, If the Faraday were just cheaper and more powerful...

[Let me be careful here. The Faraday is as much a work of art as it is an e-bike, and as such it has nice components and nicer fit and finish than a lot of bikes out there. At least I would think so - I have never seen one in person.]

The Vela Site

 Out in the ether yesterday (treehugger.com), a competitor for the Faraday popped up, and it's very intriguing, and it's less expensive than a Genze, and it has a more powerful motor than the other two. And it has a touch of Brazilian sexiness to it. And it comes in three sizes, men's and women's models, and four colors. I still think the Faraday is a better looking bike, but this one is no slouch in the looks department. It's called the Vela.

The Kickstarter page

A few stats for you:
350 watt motor
20 mile range
20 miles per hour
42 pounds
removable battery
pedal assist (no throttle)
remote control alarm
GPS tracking
You can buy one for somewhere between $800 and $1400

Is it the bike for you? I'd sure ride it, but yesterday I admitted to the world that I'd happily be seen in a Citicar. So you might take my aesthetic opinion with a grain of salt.

Yesterday's post

May form and function come together in your green choices.